Luke Aikins put it all on the line on Saturday during the televised event called “Heaven Sent”, becoming the first person in history to jump from a plane from almost 5 miles in the sky without a parachute or wingsuit, and landing safely with pinpoint precision in a 100-by-100-foot net posted above the ground. He has made over 18,000 jumps – but never one quite like this.
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Aikins initially wore a parachute for precautionary measures, and right before the jump he decided otherwise saying, “the need to wear a parachute would have made the jump more unsafe because of the need to adjust his position as he approached the net” he told The Telegraph.
Yet after the terrifying descent, Luke Aikins smiled and waved as he emerged from the ordeal without a scratch.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous”, he told an interviewer just before boarding the plane for the jump.
Aikins landed safely in Simi Valley, California, without a parachute.
Jumping out of a plane 25,000 feet in the air without a parachute is one of those things you simply shouldn’t try at home. He hit the 100-by-100-foot net perfectly, quickly climbed out of it and walked over to hug his wife, who had been watching with other family members including their four-year-old son Logan.
“I’m nearly levitating, it’s incredible”, he told an interviewer.
“We did and can not thank everyone enough for the support”, Aikins wrote on Facebook shortly after the jump. Aikins left the plane without the chute. The Screen Actors Guild wanted Aikins to wear a parachute. He is certified to teach both skydiving to both students and instructors.
He has also provided advanced skydiving training to some of America’s elite military special forces. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.
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